Wild monkeys that live
in Fukushima forest, Japan, close to the nuclear
meltdown, have started to change. Based on the
research of University of South Carolina, the
United States, the number of blood cells of these
monkeys has started to decrease. As a result,
they are vulnerable to infectious diseases.
Researchers found signs of radiation exposure on
61 monkeys that live 70-kilometre away from the
nuclear plantation in Fukushima Daiichi. The
result, their white and red blood cells have
dropped compared to healthy monkeys in
Shimokita.â€¨
"The low blood cell counts could be a sign of a
compromised immune system and could
potentially make the monkeys vulnerable to
infectious diseases," said Shinichi Hayama, head
of the research, as reported by Live Science, last
Thursday.
Another researcher, Tim Mousseau, uttered that if
it could happen to monkeys, these dangerous
signs offer similar possibility of occurring to
humans.
However, monkeys have higher level of radiation
than what they have found in humans in the same
location. This is because monkeys consume fruit,
mushrooms or insects that have been
contaminated; on the other hand, humans are
more 'selective'.

Wild monkeys that live
in Fukushima forest, Japan, close to the nuclear
meltdown, have started to change. Based on the
research of University of South Carolina, the
United States, the number of blood cells of these
monkeys has started to decrease. As a result,
they are vulnerable to infectious diseases.